


Variety Is the Spice of Life

by OnTheGround2012



Series: All I Saw Was You [126]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Future, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Feelings, Flashbacks, Friendship, Human Stiles Stilinski, Lawyer Jackson Whittemore, M/M, Marriage, Mentioned Allison Argent, Mentioned Kane Hale, Mentioned Nick Close, Mentioned Stiles Stilinski, Original Character(s), Parenthood, The Hale Pack - Freeform, Werewolf Isaac Lahey, Werewolf Jackson Whittemore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 17:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21001364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnTheGround2012/pseuds/OnTheGround2012
Summary: When Isaac questioned his sexuality he thought that the best course of action was to talk to someone who had been through that before.(This flashback works as a standalone with part 125)





	Variety Is the Spice of Life

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to know what you think... whatever it is that goes through your mind... otherwise, I have no idea.
> 
> Muchas gracias/Thanks so much to my beta for her help and support.

“And what were your thoughts after that? I mean, how did you deal with it?”

Jackson snorts, raising his eyebrows. “Deal with it? I didn’t deal with it—I had nightmares and my brain was a disaster. The truth is that my head was a fucking mess. My thoughts went from _I can’t actually be interested in him, right?_ to ___What’s he gonna think if I make a move? Does it mean I want to have sex with him? Is he gonna make fun of me? What are my parents going to think? What about Lydia? What the fuck is wrong with me?”___

Jackson snorts again as he remembers. “I mean, I thought about all the shit that you can possibly imagine… but I did nothing. I was too afraid to admit how I felt, to face those questions… so that’s why if what I said reminds you of anything of what you’re feeling right now, and I think it does… then, my advice is that you should definitely go out with him. Stop wondering and asking yourself questions that you can’t probably answer yet. Don’t be afraid of what it means or the consequences—Just go out with him and see how you feel. It doesn’t matter if you’re sixteen or thirty-three… What if he’s a guy? If you’re meant to be with somebody, you should consider yourself lucky that you found them, no matter what age you are… or what sex they are. You should be less obsessed with labels. Stop thinking what liking him makes you, okay? That’s the first mistake you’re making here.”

“Anyway, that’s how I see it,” Jackson waves his right hand.

“You know, that day you told us about you two I was absolutely shocked.” Isaac smiles as he remembers the moment. “I actually thought you were joking at first.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Jackson raises his eyebrows. “Why do you think we waited so long to tell you? I mean, it wasn’t just that… it was everything.”

“Now, I can’t imagine you two with anybody else.” Isaac smiles.

“Look. We’ve never… I know I’m not the person you trust the most.” Because he knows he’s closer to Stiles, Boyd or Erica, but obviously Stiles can’t remember how their relationship started and he can’t talk about it with him. “So the fact that you’re here and that we’re having what must be the weirdest conversation we’ve ever had, proves to me that you’ve thought a lot about this and about what starting something with him could mean to you.”

“That’s the thing. I’m not sure I want to start anything. I’m not sure I want a relationship.”

Isaac snorts. “They never work out. And it’s what you said before, if I was meant to be with anybody, I think it would have happened by now. I—”

“That’s bullshit. That’s absolute bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit. Every time I’ve thought it was going to work out, it didn’t.” At this point, it feels like if all his relationships are condemned to fail.

“Plus, he’s human. The idea of lying to him…” Isaac shrugs. “I don’t like it.”

“You’ve never lived with anybody. You’ve never really tried. Your motto has always been ‘variety is the spice of life’ and you know that better than anyone. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it—It’s okay as long as you’re happy and it works for you. What I’m saying is that when you think that way, the probabilities of ending up with someone are significantly low. I don’t think you’ve never really pursued a relationship. And well, having in mind that the number of female wolves you haven’t dated is pretty low, unless you want to expand your horizons and look somewhere else... of course, I’d say that your options are quite limited to the human species right now.”

“You know, you sounded like Stiles just now.”

Jackson snorts but doesn’t deny it, it feels stupid to try.

“Well, he’s human and so are Allison, Kane, and Nick. And it’s very common in most packs out there.”

“Yes, but the first two you mentioned knew what they were getting into—”

“And Kane and Nick? Because they didn’t,” Jackson interrupts him.

Isaac hesitates and licks his lips. “Okay, maybe you’re right about Kane... but Nick? That guy isn’t the most normal person out there. Admit it,” Isaac waves his arm, “anybody who wants to marry Erica has to be a little insane.”

Jackson smirks and rolls his eyes. The truth is that Erica has grown up a lot and he loves her, but he’d be lying if he said that he doesn’t get what Isaac means. Not everybody can deal with her personality, but Nick has proved that he can and it seems to be working out for them.

“Look, Nick loves her which is what matters here, and it’s the reason why he accepted it and embraced it if you want to refer to it that way. And yes, Stiles is human and knew about the whole thing from the start but we had our own problems as you know. We almost broke up… So, knowing doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a problem-free relationship.”

“Yeah, but at least there won’t be surprises that can end up with a major freaking out moment, and your alpha telling you I told you so for the rest of your life. Plus, didn’t I say I hate lying? You don’t know how lucky you are that you didn’t have to go through that.”

“No, I only had to lie about our relationship for months to you, to the pack, to my parents, to the school…” Jackson snorts. “Believe me, I know what lying feels like. And the point here is that you barely know him. You don’t have a clue about how he’d react… Yes, obviously you could be disappointed but he might not give a shit if he really likes you. So, find out first… don’t theorize without real knowledge.”

“Theorize?” Isaac raises his eyebrows. “Shit, Whittemore, you scare me sometimes…” Isaac smirks. “But okay—Maybe you’re right.”

“You know I am. You wouldn't be here if you didn't think you can trust me about this stuff," Jackson says with confidence.

“Well, aside from that. there’s also the fact… quite important fact actually, that he had a boyfriend before. They lived together and it ended after five years, so we’ve talked about it and I know he’s not after a fling. He probably wants what he had. What he lost.” Isaac snorts. “When we discussed it, I never thought it was his way of saying… this is what you’d be getting into…, you know? I didn’t think he liked me that way. I thought we were just sharing experiences.”

Jackson snorts, smiling. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” Jackson may not be attracted to him but he has eyes to see how much hotter Isaac has become as he’s grown older. Not only his face but his body too. His body has filled out in all the right places.

“The guy is gay and he’s not blind. Plus, he’s talked to you and he likes you. Of course, he’s gonna be interested.”

Isaac runs a hand through his hair and stays silent.

“Maybe you should talk to Stiles… Maybe—”

“No, thank you.”

Jackson raises his eyebrows.

“I already know what he’d say.”

“Unlike me?”

“Yeah, unlike you.” Isaac nods. “The fact that I can’t imagine you with anybody else doesn’t mean that your relationship isn’t still some kind of mystery to me, you know?”

Jackson smiles. “Still? Why do you say that?”

“Why? Probably the same reason why you had doubts all those years ago.” Isaac snorts. “You two couldn’t be more different if you tried. You’re not even the same species anymore. And yet you make it work and if that wasn’t enough, you have produced these two amazing kids together… So, if you two aren’t a mystery, I don’t know what you are.” Isaac smirks.

Jackson snorts. “Well, I think we stopped being a mystery a long time ago. Marriage is work. Having kids—educating them is work. You don’t think about it at first but that’s what it is—it’s a work in progress. You don’t really know if you can be with someone until you’ve moved in together. Because you know, living with someone is an adjustment period with an inevitable loss of privacy included. You find out many things you didn’t know about each other. I guess it’s the turning point in a relationship. So yeah, I’d say that you don’t really know someone until you’ve lived together. And in our case, there was some conflict I guess but we had waited for so long that we got over all those things… That’s mostly what I remember.”

“But anyway, you shouldn’t worry about this shit yet,” Jackson smirks. “It’s just a date, Isaac. Who knows if there will be a second one.”

“You think I’m getting ahead of myself, right? Of course, I am…”

“Well, sort of…” Because Jackson kind of thinks that but at the same time, Jackson thinks it can only be positive that Isaac is thinking about all this a little more deeply. If the possibility of having something with Martin is making him reflect on all these things, maybe he’s having deeper feelings about him that he realizes.

“But it’s good, I think. It’s good that you’re thinking about all these things because if you lead him on and then you decide you’re not ready, not only will you feel like shit, but he could also hold that against you and it would be worse.”

“Yeah, I know.”

There’s silence between them after that. Jackson is about to say something when his phone rings and he sees that it’s a client he was trying to talk to in the morning.

“Sorry. I have to get this,” Jackson says, grabbing the phone.

“Yes, of course. I have to get going anyway.”

Jackson nods. “Good luck,” he adds before answering the phone.

“Thanks,” Isaac adds, getting up, heading to the door.

**Author's Note:**

> > To everybody who happens to read this or any other chapter, I'd tell them not to be shy... I'd tell them to come out of the dark and "step into the light," as the brilliant Darren Hayes would say. It's just really cool to know that you are there and to hear from you. Don't be a stranger, I'll be very glad to meet you :)  
> Thanks to Ben Hazlewood for the title.
> 
> Btw, I have 2 other stackson series that you can check out if you want:
> 
> * [Throw Your Weight On Me](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1374817)  
* [What If It's You?](https://archiveofourown.org/series/885351)
> 
> You can find me as [otg2012](http://otg2012.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.


End file.
